Technology and interior design by Dave Nemeth

The past few years has seen technology leap forward and gain even faster momentum with major advancements happening on a monthly basis. This technology has had and will remain having a major impact on absolutely everything. I currently refer to this dynamic shift as “living in an app world". When we want to do banking, make a reservation, find a recipe or get transport, we simply pull out our smart phone or tablet and tap on the relevant app.

We communicate seamlessly in real time through social media and get updated worldwide news coverage of events as they happen. This technology has been incorporated into active wear, for monitoring fitness levels and on the other end of the scale into baby grows, which now replaces baby monitors. It is therefore only obvious that, the way in which we live in our homes will also start to see dramatic changes due to technology.

Our everyday appliances will communicate with us allowing us to remotely control them as well as keep tabs on how they need to be serviced, there are already "intelligent" fridges on the market that will inform you what items are running low and what needs to be ordered based on daily usage. Just imagine getting an SMS on your smartphone that asks you to pick up milk and butter on your way home from work so there are no ugly surprises in the morning.

Home automation systems have already been around for many years, yet remain generally very expensive and like all technology will become more affordable as time progresses. There are already inexpensive security devices overseas that are the size of a 500ml cool drink bottle, that you position in a corner of a room. These devices notify you remotely of temperature changes, smoke alerts, movement or loud noises; surely it is only a matter of time before the common light bulb has these functions?

Technology has also had an impact on the actual aesthetics of an interior space with electronic picture frames. These have allowed people to load hundreds of family images into these and avoiding the allocated space needed for a large array of family photos. Some homes have even adopted very large screens onto walls that rotate their favorite digital artworks.

LED lighting is quickly becoming the norm in the lighting of the home due to its power saving capabilities, long lifespan and constant reduction in pricing. This LED lighting now comes in a variety of other formats making it really easy to convert everything from kitchen cupboards to plasma units into modern, up to date statement pieces. This LED lighting technology also allows for colour changes based on the fact that it works on an RGB (red, green, blue) colour mixing system. This means that a feature wall or bulkhead can now be lit instead of being painted and colour can be changed to suit the mood creating a subtle yet effective ambiance.

It is important to remember that technology will never replace tactile items such as textured fabrics, rustic wood real art and unique craft items. A home designed purely with technology in mind becomes sterile and office like, it is important to create a balance between real items that have meaning and technology of the purpose of convenience. SAHO